Flash light



Dec. 13, 1932. KORETZKY AL 1,891,024

FLASH LIGHT Filed March 27, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 13, 1932.

H. KORETZKY ET AL FLASH LIGHT Filed March 27. 1931 26 x) 5 T I .Y Z/ /4 24c Z6; 25 26 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OF F ICE" HARRY KORETZKY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY; MAX HOROWITZ, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK; ANDANTHONY J. DESIMONE, OF 'LYNDI-IURST, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO BRIGHT STAR BATTERY COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW'JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FLASH LIGHT Application filed March 27, 1931. Serial No. 525,805;

This invention relates to portable electric lamps of the type known as flashlights and has for an object a new and improved flashlight in which the bulb may be adjusted relative to the reflector for focusing purposes and in which the focusing requires the use of one hand only and may be effected while the flash light is held in the same position as it is held for operating the switch which controls the flow of current to the bulb.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary longitudinal section through a flashlight embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is asection on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with the battery omitted;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the line 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 2 with bulb omitted;

Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of the invention, and

Fig. 6 is a similar figure of a still further modified form.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the flashlight comprises a tubular casing 10 which may be composed of metal, fiber or other suitable material within which is arranged a suitable battery 11. The tubular casing is provided at one end with an annular shoulder 12 on which rests an insulating disk 13 which is held against the shoulder by a snap ring 14 seated in a groove provided in the casing.

A metal strip 16 is slidably supported on the inner wall of the casing 10 and is insulated from the casing by means of a fiber strip 17 A switch housing 18 is attached to the outer wall of the casing and is provided with a slide 19 having lugs 20 which extend through slots in the switch housing andcasing 10 and are turned over the strip 17 to hold the latter to the wall of the casing 10, the strip 16 being provided with an aperture within which the ends of the-lugs are'arranged. These lugs attach the strip 16 to the slide 19 so that movement of the latter eifects movement of the former.

The upper end 16a of the strip 16 is bent inwardly at right angles to the main portion of the strip and supports a threaded socket 21 in which is arranged the base of a bulb 22. The bulb 22 extends through an aperture provided in the base ofa reflector 15 which is supported by the casing in the well known manner. A fiber washer 23 is attached to the portion 16a and underlies the base of the socket 21. A contact member 24 extends along the under face of the disk 23 and has its ends 24a upturned. A tongue 25 is struck out of the center portion ofthe contact member 24 and projects upwardly through the aperture in the disk 23 into engagement with' the central terminal of the bulb22. A second contact member 26 is supported by the fiber disk 13 and depends downwardly therefrom. This contact member has longitudinal sections 26a which are engaged by the upturned ends 24a of-the contact member 24 and is prm vided with an offset portion 27 which is engaged by the central terminal of the battery 11. The disk 13 is provided with slots 28 through which the upturned ends of the contact member 24 may extend when the slide 16 is moved from the position shown in Fig. 2 up nearer the disk 13. The contact member 26 is provided with offsets 29 which engage the fiber disk 23 to limit the movement of the bulb assembly toward the bottomsection of the contact member 26.

A flexible contact member 30 is connected at one end by a rivet 31 to the switch housing. The free end of the contact member may be depressed into engagement with the strip 16 and thus close the circuit through the bulb 22. The switch mechanism may embody any one of the different structures disclosed in applicants co-pending applica-,

tion, Serial No. 525,804 filed March 27, 1931, and therefore is not herein described in detail.

In the above described flashlight, focusing is effected by moving the bulb 22 relative to the reflector 15 through the medium of the slide 19 and strip 16. The slide 19. may be easily actuated by the thumb of the hand in which the casing is held. After the bulb has 7 been adjusted to obtain the proper focus,- it;

will remain in such position due to friction between the strip 17 and the casing 10. It is necessary to focus the device only when a new bulb is inserted.

In any position of the bulb the lighting circuit is closed by depressing the free end of the contact member 30 into engagement with the strip 16. The upturned ends 2 1a of the contact member 24 slidably engage the coacting sections 2665 of the contact member 26 to provide a constant electrical connection between the central terminal of the battery and the slide 16 through the filament of the bulb 2:2. The switch mechanism may be pro vided with means to hold the contact mem ber in circuit closing position or in circuit open position, all as fully described in the above-referred to co-pending application.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 5, the

contact member 26 is supported by the disk 13 in the same manner in the modification disclosed in Fig. l and is provided with an upstanding arm 266 which is slidably engaged by the upturned end 240 of a contact member 24?) carried by the washer 23 and having its inner end oii'set upwardly to engage the middle terminal of the bulb 22. The fiber washer 23 is connected to the portion 16a of the strip 16 by means of lugs 16?). Portions 260 of the member 26 are turned up to engage the bulb assembly and limit its movement toward the longitudinal portion of the member. The modification disclosed in this figure differs essentially from the modification shown in Fig. 1 in the use of but a single pair of slidingly engaged contact members instead of two pairs of such members. The switch mechanism also is slightly different and embodies a difierent structure disclosed in the co-pending application previously referred to.

In the modification disclosed in Fig. 6, the upper end 16a of the strip 16 is provided with an upturned portion 160 which passes through a slot in the fiber washer 13. The contact member 26 is supported from the washer 13 in the same manner disclosed in Fig. 2. The contact member 246 has one end riveted to the contact member 26 and its free end engages the middle terminal of the bulb 22. The contact member 24d is so designed that as the slide 16 is moved toward and away from the fiber disk 13, the end of the contact member remains in engagement with the middle terminal of the bulb, thus always providing electrical connection from the middle terminal of the battery to the slide 1.6 through the filament of the bulb. The slide 16 is moved by means of the slide 19 in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 1 and the current through the bulb is controlled by a flexible contact member 307) which is adapted to be flexed into engagement with the strip 16. The structure of the switch mechanism is different from that shown in Fig. 1, and is of the type embodied in one of the modifications of the above mentioned co-pending application.

In each of the modifications above disclosed focusing of the lamp is accomplished merely by sliding the member 19 and may be effected with minimum effort. In focusing the flashlight the bulb held in the hand in the same manner as it is held when it is to be used and the focusing may be effected b the thumb of the hand in which the flashlight is held and also the switch may be controlled by the same thumb. After the flashlight has once been focused, it retains its focus due to friction between the parts of the focusing mechanism. I is thus necessary to adjust the slide only upon the insertion of a new bulb.

It is of course understood that various modifications may be made in the structure above described, without in any way depart ing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the modification disclosed in Figs. 2 and 5, the insulating disk 23 is provided with one or more cut-out portions to receive the longitudinal sections 26a and 26b of the contact member 26, thereby providing a guide which in cooperation with the guide provided by the washer 13 for the socket 21 insures axial alignment of the bulb assembly; In each modification the contact member 26 at tached to the fiber disk 13 by rivets 264.

We claim:

1. In a flashlight, a casing, a slide supported by said casing, a socket carried by said slide and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said ca sing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a contact member supported by said disk, a second contact member insulatingly supported by said slide and having sliding engagement with said first contact member in any position of the slide, said second contact member being adapted for electrical connection with a terminal of a bulb in said socket, a housing supported by the casing, an actuating member slidably mounted on said housing, connections between said actuating member and slide for effecting movement of the latter by the former and a switch in said housing for controlling current flow through the bulb.

2. In a flashlight, a casing, a slide supported by said casing, a socket carried by said slide and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a contact member supported by said disk and having a section extending longitudinally of said casing. a contact member insulatingly carried by said slide and having a portion engaging said longitudinally extending section in any position of the slide and a portion engageable with a bulb in said socket, means exterior of said casing for actuating said slide, and switch means exterior of said casing for controlling current flow through said bulb. i

3. In a flashlight, a casing, a slide supported by said casing, a socket carried by said slide and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket pro ects, a contact member supported by said disk and having a section extending longitudinally of said casing, a contact member insulatingly carried by said slide and having a portion engaging said longitudinally extending section in any position of the slide, and a portion engageable with a bulb in said socket, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, an actuating member slidably mounted on said housing, connections between said actuating member and slide for effecting movement of the latter by the former and a switch in said housing for controlling current flow through said bulb.

l. In a flashlight, a casing, a slide supported by said casing, a socket carried by said slide and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket pro ects, a contact member supported by said disk, a second contact member insulatingly supported by said slide and having sliding engagement with said first contact member in any position of the slide, said second contact member having a portion ongageable with a terminal of a bulb in said socket, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, an actuating member slidably mounted on said housing, and connections between said actuating member and slide for effecting movement of the latter by the former.

5. In a flashlight, a casing, a slide supported by said casing, a socket carried by said slide and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a contact member supported by said disk and having a section-extending longitudinally of said casing, a contact member insulatingly carried by said slide and having a portion engaging said longitudinally extending section in any position of the slideiand a portion engageable with a bulb in said socket, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, an actuating member slidably mounted on said housing, and connections between said actuating member and slide for effecting movement of the latter by the former.

6. In a flashlight, a casing, a metal slide supported by said casing, said slide having one end extending transversely of the casing, a socket caried by said end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a contact member supported by said disk and having a section extending longitudinally of said casing, a second contact member carried by said slide and being insulated therefrom, said second contact'member having a portion slidably engaging the longitudinal extending portion of the first contact member in any position of the slide and another portion forming one terminal of said socket, means exterior of said casing for actuating said slide, and switch means exterior of said casing for controlling the flow of current through a bulb in said socket.

7. In a flashlight, a casing, a metal slide supported by said casing, said slide having one end extending transversely of the easing, a socket carried by said end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carriedby said casing and having an aperture through which said'socket projects, a contact member supported by said disk and having a section extending longitudinally of said casing, a second contact member carried by said slide and being insulated therefrom, said second contact member having a portion slidably engaging the longitudinal extending portion of the first contact member in any position of the slide and another portion forming one terminal of said socket, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, aslide' actuating member mounted on said housing, and a switch in said housing for controlling current flow through a bulb in'said sock-e v 8. In a flashlight, a casing, a metal slide supported by saidcasing, said slide having one end extending transversely of the casing, a socket, carrf ed by said transverse end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried bysaid casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a U-shaped contact member having its ends attached to said disk, a contact member carried by said slide and insulated there-7 from, said second contact member having portions slidably engaging the legs of said U-shaped contact member and another portion forming one terminal'of said socket,

means exterior of said casing for actuating said slide, and switch means exterior of said casing for controllingflow through a bulb in said socket.

9. In a flashlight, a casing, a metal slide supported by said casing, said slide having one end extending transversely of the casing, a socket carried by said transverse end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a U-shaped contact member having its ends attached to said disk, a contact member carried by said slide and insulated therefrom, said second contact member having portions slidably engaging the legs of said 3130 U-shaped contact member and another portion forming one terminal of said socket, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, a slide actuating member mounted 5 on said housing, and a switch in said housing for controlling current flow through a bulb in said socket.

. 10. In a flashlight, a housing, a metal slide supported by said casing, said slide having '10 one end extending transversely of the casing, a socket carried by said transverse end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and having an aperture through which said socket projects, a U-shaped contact member having its ends attached to said disk, a contact member carried by said slide and being insulated therefrom, said second contact member having bent up portions slidably engaging the .20 legs of said U-shaped contact member, and another portion forming one terminal of said socket, said insulating disk having apertures into which said bent up portions project upon movement of said slide toward '25 said disk, means exterior of said casing for actuating said slide, and switch means exterior of said casing for controlling flow through a bulb in said socket.

11. In a flashlight, a housing, a metal slide supported by said casing, said slide having one end extending transversely of the easing, a socket carried by said transverse end and being electrically connected thereto, an insulating disk carried by said casing and l having an aperture through which said socket projects, a U-shaped contact member having its ends attached to said disk, a contact member carried by said slide and being insulated therefrom, said second contact member having bent up portions slidably engaging the legs of said U-shaped contact member, and another portion forming one terminal of said socket, said insulating disk having apertures into which said bent up portions project upon movement of sad slide toward said disk, a housing supported by said casing exterior thereof, a slide actuating member mounted on said casing, and a switch in said housing for controlling current flow through a bulb in said socket.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

HARRY KORETZKY. MAX HOROVVITZ. ANTHONY J. DESIMONE. 

